Water cooler



July 27 1926.

F. BRAAI WATER COOLER Filed July 24'; 1924 v 2 sheets-sheet 'e gwuemtoc'ank Brad/l5.

Patented July 27, 1926.

FRANK IBRAAI, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

WATER Application filed July 24,

This invention relates to improvements in water coolers, having for anobject to provide a water cooler of such construction that the water tobe cooled will be caused to follow a tortuous path about the cooling orrefrigerant containing means in a manner to vavoid direct contact withthe refrigerant whereby to prevent contamination of the water, and also,to effect the cooling` of such water in a minimum amount of time as wellas to maintain available, a constant supply of cooled water from thedevice.

It is an equally important object `of the invention -to ,provide a watercooler of the character mentioned wherein the units of construction areso housed and supported as to render the same conveniently accessible,both for cleaning and replenishing of the water and refrigerant supply,and similarly, to permit of their removal for the effecting of repairsor the like.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out hereinafter.

In ord-er that the invention and its mode of operation may be readilyunderstood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanyingillustrative drawings, and in the detailed following` description basedthereupon, set out one possible' embodiment of the same.

In these drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of the im'- proved cooler,

i Figure 2 is a detail in side elevation showing the cooler properremoved from the housing and in sidel elevation,

Figure 3 is a detail in elevation of the refrigerant containingreceptacle.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the tank for receiving therefrigerantcontaining receptacle and the water to be cooled thereby,

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the refrigerant containingreceptacle and the le ceiving tank therefor, and

Figure 6 is a bottom view yof the refriger ant receiving receptacle.

Having more particular reference .to the drawings, in `connection withwhich like characters of reference designate correspending partsthroughout, the improve-d cooler may be stated to comprise ,a convenientform of housing` and support designated herein in its entirety by thenumeral l, such support being provided with legs 2 for an COOLER,

1924. Serial No. 72741.

obvious purpose while a compartment 3 is formed therein and opens ontoone side thereof, this compartment being adapted to receive thereinsuperposed and rela-tively spaced tanks 4 and 5, the tank 4 serving as awater supplying or reservoir means for the cooler, while the tank 5serves as a water receiving, circulating and cooling medium. ln thisconnection, it will be noted that the tanks 4 and 5 are suitablysupported within the compartment of the housing 1 upon supporteindicated at this time by the. numeral 6, so as to prevent lateraldisplacement of said tanks with respect `to the housing compartment aswell as the supports 6, locking bars Z and 8 are provided, certain ofthe ends of these locking bars being pivoted to adjacent portions of thehousing 1 as indicated at 9, while the opposite ends thereof areprovided with marginally opening slots adapted to be engaged oversuitable 'keepers 10, iixedly arranged upon opposite and adjacentportions of the said lhousing 1 in the manner shown in the Figure 1, thefree extremities of these locking bars 7 and 8 being reduced asindicated at 11, whereby to afford the same with means to facilitatetheir en` gagement by the hand of an attendant or operator, and hence,to render their engagement or disengagement from the keepers 10convenient.

The tank 4, serving as a reservoir for the improved water cooler, isprovided with an upwardly and outwardly 'disposedtubular filling spout12 adapted to be normally closed by a suitably vented cap 18, while anoutlet opening is formed in the bottom of said tank in proximity to therearwardly disposed wall thereof and receives an outlet conduit 14therein.

The water receiving, circulating and cooling tank 5 has the top or upperwall thereof provided with an inlet opening 'receiving the adjacent endof a pipe therein, such pipe being so arranged asto longitudinally alignwith the outlet pipe 14 of the tank 4 whereupon a coupling or union 16is engaged with the adjacent ends of the said pipes 14 and 15 and aswill be noted, is provided with a suitable valve adapted to be manuallyoperated through the medium of a convenient form of handle 17. In thisway, it will be mevident that the passage of water from the reservoirtank 4 into the water receiving tank 5 may be regulated at will by anoperator, merely by adjustment of the handle 17 tothe desired or properextent. This tank 5 also has an outlet opening formed in the forwardportion of the bottom thereof receiving an elbow like conduit 18 thereinand which conduit in turn, carries upon its outer end a valve faucet 19in order that cooled water may be dispensed from said tank 5 as requiredor desired.

To permit of access to the interior of the Water receiving, circulatingand cooling tank 5, the upper portion thereof is provided with atransversely hinged closure 20, thus permitting the swinging of suchclosure upwardly to an open position as indicated in dotted lines in theFigure 2, whereby access may be had to said tank as for the placing ofthe refrigerant containing receptacle hereinafter more fully described,or the replenishing of the supply of refrigerant within said receptacleas may become necessary during usage of the water cooler.

The water receiving, circulating and cooling tank 5 is supplied with anovel forni of refrigerant containing receptacle 21 of a shape generallycorresponding to the shape of the same, but of a size to permit itsarrangement or reception within said tank 5, so that the side wallsthereof will be inwardly spaced from the corresponding walls of the tank5, thus providing a water receiving and circulating chamber entirelyabout the refrigerant receiving and containing receptacle 21, wherebythe water discharged into theftank 5 by way of the pipe 15 will be tocomplete the circulation within the chamber so constituted and to havedirect contact lwith the cooled side walls of thc receptacle 21. Thisreceptacle 2l, in turn, may be and preferably is provided with a ver"tically swingable closure or cover whereby, with the placing of ice orother refrigerant therein, said receptacle may be eifec tually closed,and in this way, the water to be cooled, prevented from discharging intothe receptacle and coming into direct contact with the refrigerantcontained therein.

To effect a positive. circulation of the water received in the tank 5about the cooled side walls of the refrigerant containing receptacle 21,a plurality of substantially vertically arranged relatively spaced fins,blades or ribs 23 are lixedly mounted upon or secured to portions of theside walls of the receptacle 21, extending from points adjacent the topof said receptacle to points in proximity to but spaced upwardly fromthe bottom of this receptacle. These ribs 23 are of widths such as tofully occupy the chamber constituted between the adjacent side walls ofthe receptacle 21 and the tank 5, the outer marginal portions of theribs contacting with adjacent portions of the inner sides of the sidewalls of such tank 5. By consequence, water discharged into thereceiving,

circulating and cooling tank 5 will be caused to effect a tortuous pathof travel through the cooling chamber and about and in contact with thecooled outer sides of the side walls of the refrigerant containingreceptacle 21, and hence, the water so contacting with the side walls ofthis receptacle 21 will be cooled without direct contact with therefrigerant. Thus, contamination of the water by any impurities presentin the ren frigerant will be absolutely prevented.

A drain pipe 24 is connected to the bottom of the refrigerant containingreceptacle 21 and, as shown in the Figure 2, passes through a suitablypacked opening formed in the bottom of the tank 5 to a point beyond andbelow the same; a valve being arranged in the lower end of said drainpipe adapted to be controlled by a suitable form of handle 25. Tn thisway, the refrigerant, when desired, may be drained from the refrigerantcontaining tank 21 or where ice is used in said receptacle 21, the watertherefrom may be conveniently drained when required.

To render this Awater cooler sanitary and to prevent the discharge ofdripping, waste water or surplus from the discharge faucet 19 onto thefloor or surface upon which the housing l arranged, a drip or catchbasin or pan 26 is provided, such basin being fixed ly supported upon ahangar arm 27 secured at its upper end to an adjacent portion of thetank 5 or to an adjacent portion of the housing 1 as may be desired,such basin being arranged directly below the dispensing faucet 19. Thus,drippings, waste water or the like from said faucet will be caught inthe basin 2G and therefore, will be prevented from falling onto thesurface on which the water cooler is arranged.

Attention is here directed to the fact that the union ,16 is detachablyengaged with the adjacent ends of the pipes 14 and and therefore, itwill be appreciated that the tanks 4 and 5 may be disconnected with re*spect to each other; similarly, that with iemoval of the union 16,connection of a steam supplying nozzle, pipe or similar device with thepipes 14 or 15 may be effected in order that a sterilizing steamdischarge into either of tanks 4 and 5 may be brought about to clean orsterilize the same.

In using the improved water cooler, a supply of water is placed withinthe reservoir tank 4 by way of the tubular filling opening 12, whereuponthe vented cap 13 is engaged with the open end of such filling tube. Atthis time, the handle 17 of the valve in the coupling 16 is adjusted topermit the desired discharge or flow of water from the reservoir tank 4into the receiving, circulating and cooling tank 5, such water passinginto the chamber constituted between the relatively spaced side walls ofthe refriger- Cir ant containing receptacle 21 and the tank 5. The waterwhen discharged into this chamber will be caused to assume a tortuouspath about and in direct contact with the cooled side walls of therefrigerant containing re ceptacle 21 and hence, will be brought to thedesired temperature. To dispense cooled water from the tank 5, it isonly necessary that the valve of the dispensing faucet 19 be operated,whereupon a flow will be had from the discharge nozzle thereof. Y

To replenish the supply of refrigerant within the refrigerant containingreceptacle 21, it is only necessary to raise the lid 20 of the tank 5and the cover' 22 of said receptacle 21. If desired, the refrigerantcontaining receptacle 21 may be completely removed or partially removedfrom the tank 5 merely by lifting the same upwardly through the spacepresented with the raising of the transversely hinged closure 20.Likewise, it will be understood that the tanks 4 and 5 may be readilyremoved from their supported positions within the compartment of thehousing 1, merely by swinging their respective locking bars 7 or 8 todisengaged positions. Likewise, the pan 26 may be removed to permitemptying of the water contained therein and in this connection, it istobe appreciated that the pan 26, instead of being connected to thehanger or supporting` arm 27, may be suitably supported upon the bottomof the compartment 3 within the housing 1 so as to receive anydrippings, waste water or surplus from the dispensing` faucet 19. Byeliminating this hanger arm 27, movement of the basin 26 independentlyof the tank 5 will of course be permitted.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerablemodification, and such modification as is within the scope of my jclaim, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

A water cooler comprising a supporting housing having a compartmentformed throughout its length and opening onto one side thereof,relatively spaced superposed supports within the compartment, a watersupply tank removably arranged upon one of the supports adjacent theupper portion of the compartment, a water receiving, circulating andcooling tank received upon the remaining support within said compartmentand arranged below said lirst tank, means for establishing communicationbetween said iirst and second mentioned tanks, valve means interposed insaid communication establishing means, locking bars pivoted to adjacentportions of the housing adapted to transversely span the open frontportion of compartment therein, adjacent the several tanks whereby toprevent their lateral displacement, a vented filling tube for the lirsttank, a dispensing faucet connected to and communicating with the bottomof the second mentioned tank, the upper portion of said second tankbeing open, a refrigerant receiving and containing receptacle receivedwithin said second tank having the side walls thereof spaced from thecorresponding walls of said second tank whereby to constitute a chamberthereabout and therebetween, the upper portion of said refrigerantcontaining receptacle being open, a closure for the open portion of saidsecond tank, a closure for the open portion of said receptacle, a drainpipe extended from the bottom of the refrigerant containing receptacleand through an adjacent portion of the bottom of said second tank to apoint therebeyond, and a basin supported within the bottom of thecompartment of the housing below said dispensing portion and drain pipe.

FRANK BRAAI.v

